Women's Track & Field

CSUN Jumpers Score for the Matadors at MPSF Indoor Championships

SEATTLE, Wash. - Cal State Northridge men's and women's track & field wrapped up the 2014 indoor season Saturday as the MPSF Championships wound down at Dempsey Indoor on the campus of the University of Washington.

Using the meet as more of a springboard for the outdoor season, the Matador women scored 14.50 points while the men picked up four points. The women's side received a majority of their scoring from their jumps squad.

Marissa Rossi individually scored six points as she finished fifth in the triple jump and seventh in the long jump. Rossi posted a season-best 39-3.25 (11.97) on the fifth of her six attempts in the triple jump to finish among the top-five. Teammate Cydney Leath also had a season-best as she took sixth with a best of 38-10.50 (11.85).

Rossi completed a solid meet by finishing seventh in the long jump with another season-best, 18-0.50 (5.50) to add two points to her tally.

The CSUN women also added 3.5 points in the high jump as Ashley Henry took sixth at 5-6 (1.68) and Lydia French tied for eighth also at 5-6. Henry came into the competition at 1.68 meters and cleared on her first attempt before missing on three attempts at 1.73 meters. Her best height of the season is 5-10.75 (1.80). French cleared 1.68 on her second attempt before also missing on three tries at 1.73 which would have been a season-best.

Also scoring for the women's side was the Matadors 4x400 relay which finished seventh to pick up an additional two points. The team of Samantha Dirks, Lexis Lambert, Marie Veale and Jenna Vincej ran four seconds faster than their previous season-best clocking a time of 3:43.82.

The CSUN short sprint squads, which typically score well at the outdoor conference championships, are still gearing up for the outdoor season. Le'Shel Vines narrowly missed reaching the 60 meter final after matching her season-best 7.49 in the prelims which left her one spot out of qualifying. Samantha Dirks also posted a season-best of 7.52 which was the 13th-best time in the prelims.

Stephanie Hicks was equally unlucky in the 60 meter hurdles finishing one spot out of the final after clocking a season-best 8.65 which was ninth.

On the men's side, CSUN scored in the 60 meter hurdles and long jump as Josh Hemphill took seventh in the hurldes and Jory Rucker was seventh in the long jump.

Hemphill posted a big season-best in the hurdles as he ran a blistering 8.05 in the prelims before settling for a time of 8.16 in the final. Hemphill came in with a season-best of 8.20. Rucker was seventh in the long jump despite finishing well off his season-best in the event. Rucker's best at the meet was 22-9.25 (6.94).

The MPSF Championships also saw the return of Carl Horsley who hadn't competed since the season-opening Great Dane Classic on Jan. 17. Horsley finished 11th in the 60 meter prelims in a time of 6.88 which was off his season-best of 6.77.

Khalid Jones ran the 200 meters for the first time this season and wound up 12th in the prelims in a time of 21.91 which trails only Horsley who has a team-best 21.54 this indoor season. Jones also ran a team season-best 49.00 in the 400 meters.